Jaundice in Adults (cont.)

Steven Doerr, MD

Steven Doerr, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Doerr received his undergraduate degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He graduated with his Medical Degree from the University Of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado in 1998 and completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine from Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado in 2002, where he also served as Chief Resident.

Bhupinder S. Anand, MBBS, MD, DPHIL (OXON)

Dr. Anand received MBBS degree from Medical College Amritsar, University of Punjab. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at the Postgraduate Institute of medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. He was trained in the field of Gastroenterology and obtained the DPhil degree. Dr. Anand is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.

What is the treatment for jaundice in adults?

The treatment for jaundice depends entirely on the underlying cause. Once a
diagnosis has been established, the appropriate course of treatment can then be
initiated. Certain patients will require hospitalization, whereas others may be
managed as outpatients at home.

In certain individuals with jaundice, the treatment will consist of
supportive care and can be managed at home. For example, most cases of mild
viral hepatitis can be managed at home with watchful waiting and close
monitoring by your doctor (expectant management).

Jaundice caused by drugs/medications/toxins requires discontinuation of the
offending agent. In cases of intentional or unintentional
acetaminophen
(Tylenol) overdose, the antidote N-acetylcysteine (Mucomyst) may be required.

Various medications may be used to treat the conditions leading to
jaundice, such as steroids in the treatment of some autoimmune disorders.
Certain patients with cirrhosis, for example, may require treatment with
diuretics and lactulose.

Antibiotics may be required for infectious causes of jaundice, or for the
complications associated with certain conditions leading to jaundice (for
example, cholangitis).

Individuals with cancer leading to jaundice will require consultation with
an oncologist, and the treatment will vary depending on the type and extent
(staging) of the cancer.

Surgery and various invasive procedures may be required for certain
patients with jaundice. For example, certain patients with gallstones may
require surgery. Other individuals with liver failure/cirrhosis may
require a
liver transplant.